Michael Hage : a Western club had him on their list before Tij Iginla

Dose
Crédit: Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Since Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton took control of the Canadiens’ hockey operations, there have been several prospects they’ve drafted who are getting a lot of attention despite not being first-round picks.

In 2022, there was Owen Beck and Lane Hutson. In 2023, there was Jacob Fowler and Florian Xhekaj.

But in 2024, that’s not the case. Not even Saku Koivu’s son (Aatos) is really getting attention, and no one outside of the first round is seriously catching the fans’ attention.

But the first round itself? That’s a different story.

Obviously, there’s Ivan Demidov, who’s seen as a savior, but there’s also Michael Hage, who’s loved by fans. Not like Filip Mesar, a distant first-round pick in 2022.

We expect Hage won’t make the jump to the pros before 2026, but he has the potential to be an impact player for the Canadiens in a few years. The team’s management likes him.

And apparently, they’re not the only ones.

According to information from Marco Normandin, who works for Habsolument Fan and is also associated with the PoolCast podcast, a scout from a Western team had Michael Hage in high esteem during the draft.

To what extent? To the point where Hage was ranked higher than Tij Iginla, Carter Yakemchuk, and Jett Luchanko.

For those who don’t remember, Hage was picked 21st overall. And the other three? Seventh for Yakemchuk, 13th for Luchanko, and sixth for Jarome Iginla’s son.

Iginla, who was the pick of the Salt Lake City club, was drafted right after Ivan Demidov at fifth overall. This puts things into perspective.

What’s interesting is that the Canadiens have a prospect they like, but who was also highly regarded by at least one other team. And this Western scout who spoke out probably isn’t the only one who thinks the same.

Let’s recall that Tony Marinaro, who was present on PoolCast, mentioned that he knew the Canadiens loved Hage. He talked about it during the draft when we had our hands full.

in rapid fire

– He changes the game, him.

– A must-read.

– I love it.